Many airfoil modifications have been considered in the century since the Wright brothers flight at Kitty Hawk. Matthew Orr, U.S. Pat. No. 1,787,321 introduced complementary airfoils. H. P. Massey, U.S. Pat. No. 1,82,919, taught the use of fans and complementary airfoils on wing and horizontal tail surfaces to provide an aircraft which can hover. C. DeGanhal, U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,142, taught the use of slots and engine exhausts to provide boundary layer control on upper wing surfaces.
Variable camber airfoils are taught to be useful by Serge Trey, U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,793; G. D. Bryant et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,613; D. G. Lyon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,357; E. M Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,883; A. W. Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,386; R. C. Frost et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,247.066; and S. K. Ferguson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,278.
While the concepts taught in much of the referenced prior art were appropriate for their purpose, most of these references failed to make an impact on aviation. The present invention provides an air craft utilizing cross flow fan(s) and better over-the-wing boundary layer control for good STOL applications.